Massive crowds bid final farewell to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei

Funeral prayers for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were held in Tehran on Sunday (July 5), drawing millions of mourners in one of the country's largest public gatherings in recent years, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.

The funeral prayer for Khamenei and four members of his family was led by Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, one of Iran's most senior Shiite clerics.

According to the Associated Press, Khamenei's three sons—Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa—were present at the funeral prayers.

However, Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son and widely regarded as his potential successor, did not attend the ceremony. Reports said he stayed away due to security concerns following alleged assassination threats from Israel.

The state funeral was attended by several of Iran's top political and military leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.

Senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also joined the ceremony, including IRGC Chief Ahmad Vahidi and Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani.

The funeral comes amid heightened regional tensions following Khamenei's death, with mourning ceremonies expected to continue across Iran in the coming days.

Source: Al Jazeera